


half turn to go yet turning stay

by Remy (iamremy)



Category: The Pacific (TV)
Genre: 'CAUSE WE ALL KNOW IT'S NEEDED, 1x10 Home, Canon Compliant, Coda, Episode Tag, Fix-It, Fluff, M/M, TRAIN FIX IT
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-11
Updated: 2015-06-11
Packaged: 2018-04-03 22:28:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4117099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamremy/pseuds/Remy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sledge skidded to a halt just in front of him, panting. He raised an arm and for a wild moment Snafu was convinced he was going to be clocked in the mug, but then Sledge did something completely unexpected – he reached out and dragged Snafu even closer, hands gripping his biceps tightly. “Did you really think I’d let you go without saying goodbye?” he demanded, shaking Snafu slightly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	half turn to go yet turning stay

**Author's Note:**

> So I just finished The Pacific and I'm okay, I swear. There was no crying involved. I did not scream. I'm not currently in tons of pain.
> 
> Really, I'm okay. What do you mean "you can stop crying now", I am _fine_.

“Snafu! Snaf! God dammit, _Snafu_!”

Snafu turned, mouth falling open as he heard the familiar voice. Sledge was _on the platform_ , running towards him, waving an arm at him. “Sledge– what–” he began, bag dropping from his hand, before finding that for once in his life he was speechless.

Sledge skidded to a halt just in front of him, panting. He raised an arm and for a wild moment Snafu was convinced he was going to be clocked in the mug, but then Sledge did something completely unexpected – he reached out and dragged Snafu even closer, hands gripping his biceps tightly. “Did you really think I’d let you go without saying goodbye?” he demanded, shaking Snafu slightly.

Snafu let himself be manhandled, if only because his brain still hadn’t registered what the fuck was happening. What the fuck was Sledge _doing_ – “You’re gonna miss the train,” Snafu pointed out dumbly, blinking at his friend.

“Fuck the train,” said Sledge a little hysterically, shaking Snafu again. “You – why didn’t you wake me up?”

“You were sleepin, I thought,” began Snafu, but changed tack halfway through. “I couldn’t,” he finally said, looking Sledge in the eyes. “I’m – I’m shit at goodbyes, Sledgehamma, I couldn’t do it.”

“It’s not goodbye, you dumbass,” Sledge said, finally releasing him, hands falling to his sides as he maintained eye contact with Snafu. “This – this isn’t _war_ , okay, we don’t have to be scared that one of us will die, or – or get hurt or something, Snafu, it’s not life or death anymore. You don’t have to act like everyone you love will inevitably die violently, anymore.”

 Snafu let out a mirthless laugh. “Who said I love anyone?”

“Oh, can it, Snaf,” snapped Sledge, without any real bite to it. “Don’t ever pull that shit again, you hear?”

Despite himself Snafu grinned – it was still so strange to him, how far Sledge had come from the scared kid he’d met what felt like forever ago. “Yer so cute when yer assertive and shit,” he teased.

“Shut up,” Sledge replied, punching him lightly in the shoulder, his ears flaming red. Snafu only grinned wider at the sight, punching Sledge back.

“I warn’t kiddin, though, you really will miss yer train,” he said a moment later, his smile fading. “Ain’t gonna do if yer folks get worried you ain’t comin home. They’ll think ya ran away with a nurse or somethin.”

Sledge snorted. “Yeah, that’ll happen,” he muttered sarcastically.

An awkward silence followed his words. Sledge was staring down at his shoes as if trying to figure out what his next move was, and Snafu was caught between playing with a stray thread on his shirt and glancing at his companion out of the corner of his eye. Once or twice Sledge opened his mouth as if he had something to say, but closed it again without a word. Snafu didn’t prod, seeing as he himself had no idea how he would respond to anything Sledge had to say.

They were broken out of their funk by the train; the loud whistle sounded out just before the conductor at the nearest door began yelling “All aboard!”

This was it, their last few moments together after what felt like a lifetime of time spent in each other’s personal space. Without really thinking about it Snafu reached out and grabbed Sledge’s shoulders, pushing their foreheads together, not caring that they were probably making a scene, or that this was probably the strangest thing he’d done in his life (not counting everything he’d done in the war). He wasn’t a man given in to physical displays of affection; hell, he wasn’t a man given in to affection itself. But somehow, with Sledge, it seemed right. After everything they’d been through together, it just seemed like the thing to do.

“You take care o’ yerself, Eugene,” he said, for once serious, no trace of humor in his tone. “Ya hear?”

Sledge nodded. “You’ll write, won’t you?” he asked, his hands at Snafu’s elbows. “Merriell,” he added with a small teasing grin, just to even out the playing field.

“Yeah, ‘course I will,” promised Snafu, and for once, he meant to keep it. He would write every damn week if he had to, if that was what it took to keep Sledge in his life.

Sledge nodded again. “Okay,” he said, his breath warm on Snafu’s face. He looked uncertain and hesitant, like there was something he wanted to say but wasn’t quite sure if he could. He took a deep breath, and then paused.

“What?” asked Snafu. “What is it, Sledgehamma?”

“Snaf, I–” began Sledge, but just then the conductor called out, “All aboard! Last call!”

“Go,” said Snafu, abruptly pulling out of the half-embrace. “You don’t wanna miss yer train, Eugene.”

Sledge nodded once more, looking regretful that he couldn’t say what he wanted to. “Yeah,” he said. “Okay. You – you take care, Snaf.”

“Will do,” Snafu said with a grin that felt forced. “I’ll write ya.”

“You do that,” Sledge said. Both of them were still in each other’s space, unwilling to move apart. It just felt _wrong_ , going their separate ways after so long, after all the time spent by each other’s side. Sledge had been a fixed point in Snafu’s life ever since they’d met, the kid that survived against all the odds, the one who’d saved his own sorry ass more than once. It felt impossibly hard to let go of that now.

The train gave a slow groan and began to move, and Sledge started out of whatever reverie he was in, finally stepping away. “Later, Snaf,” he said, and offered a small grin.

“Later, Sledgehamma,” echoed Snafu with a returning grin. “You go catch that train now.”

He didn’t take his eyes off Sledge until the other Marine had caught up to the train and jumped at the door. For a moment it looked like he wasn’t going to make it, and Snafu realized he didn’t _want_ him to, if only to keep Sledge by his side for some more time. Sledge managed to find a grip on the bar by the side of the door, though, ignoring the conductor’s disapproving look as he hauled himself inside.

Snafu watched till Sledge regained his balance and then turned, arm raised in a final wave. And Snafu waved back, arm flailing wildly through the air until it felt like it would fall off. He didn’t stop waving until the train rounded a corner and went out of sight, taking Eugene Sledge with it.

“Dammit,” he cursed softly to himself as he bent to pick up his bag, eyes burning, heart feeling like a lead weight inside his chest, an unusual lump in his throat. “You’ve fuckin ruined me, Sledgehamma.”

**Author's Note:**

> Title from one of my favorite poems, _[Remember](http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/174266)_ by Christina Rosetti.
> 
> Thoughts and feedback are greatly appreciated!  
> [tumblr.](http://chesterbennington.co.vu)
> 
> Love,  
> Remy x


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